Disabled student policy debated

Thursday, Feb. 3, 2000 | 10:56 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- A decision by the state Board of Education to reduce the size of classes for about 60 percent of the disabled students in Nevada is drawing fire from Clark and Washoe county school districts.

The districts agree with the intent of the plan, but they told the Legislative Interim Finance Committee Wednesday they didn't have any money to pay for the new directive.

Walt Rulffes, assistant superintendent of the Clark County School District, said this was an unfunded mandate by the state board and estimated it could cost Clark County an extra $8 million.

Rulffes said the Clark County School Board has already had to delay its $10 million plan for academic improvements and another $3.8 million proposal for technical support for teachers. "We can't sustain the status quo."

Jeanne Botts, senior financial officer for the Washoe County School District, told the legislative committee it would cost $1 million a year.

Both Rulffes and Botts didn't complain about the policy, but they don't like the timing of the decrease in class size, which goes into effect July 1. They suggested the policy should have been effective in July 2001 to allow the Legislature to provide the money for the smaller class sizes.

The education board in December approved a regulation reducing the number of handicapped or disabled students from 60 to 50 in speech classes and from 24 to 22 students in general resources and early childhood classes.

Bill Hanlon, a member of the state board from Clark County, defended the action saying Nevada's classes for the disabled are above the national norm. And even with the reduction, Nevada will continue to exceed the national average.

Unless the state board brought the issue to the forefront, Hanlon said nothing would be done. There were four public hearings on the issue.

"What the board did was correct, but the timing was not good," Hanlon said. "But the time to fund education is never good."

Legislators all run on a platform of improving education, and this will give them a chance in the 2001 session to show financial support, he said. He estimated it would cost Clark County School District $8 million to comply with the new policy.

Mary Peterson, state superintendent of public instruction, said there is $6.4 million available in federal funds, of which $5.6 million will go to the districts for disabled education programs.

But Rulffes said that money will only cover the growth of new handicapped students, not finance a class size reduction program.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, hinted the Legislature may strip the state education board of its authority to make decisions, which have financial impacts, without approval of the lawmakers.

The Interim Finance Committee has no authority to provide any extra money to the school districts to handle the immediate problem. But the Legislative Commission, whose next meeting is not yet scheduled, could reject the state board's regulation.

This in effect could delay the start-up date until July 2001 to allow the Legislature to consider money for the school districts.